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Karnataka: Amid row, CM says Surjewala did not officiate any meeting
In response to BJP questioning Surjewala’s presence in meeting with state offials, CM Siddaramaiah said he did not officiate any meeting
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday clarified that Congress national general secretary and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala had not officiated any meeting of the government and city civic body officials, dismissing the claims made by the opposition BJP and the JD(S).
Siddaramaiah’s reaction came as the BJP sought an appointment with governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to complain against Surjewala allegedly officiating a meeting with the senior bureaucrats of the state government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
“Surjewala did not officiate any meeting. He has only spoken to some MLAs. The deputy chief minister (DK Shivakumar) was present there. It was a meeting which the DyCM had attended,” Siddaramaiah told reporters on Wednesday.
“You must understand that it is not an official meeting. The Bengaluru city MLAs were summoned for the Bengaluru civic body election where he (Surjewala) had also gone,” the chief minister added.
The BJP took to Twitter and alleged that this was a “secret meeting” through which the Gandhis were trying to control the southern state.
“The “secret meeting” held at Bangalore’s Shangri-La Hotel is just another way of ‘Gandhis!’ trying to control Karnataka. The family have sent their close aide Randeep Surjewala, who neither holds any position at BDA/BBMP nor in the government to decide on Karnataka’s matters. What is his capacity or authority to chair the meeting with the BBMP and BDA Commissioners /Officials? Is this where the ‘85% deals’ are being orchestrated by the #ATMSarkara to raise funds ahead of 2024 Elections?” the BJP asked in its tweet.
In a photo posted on Twitter by the state BJP, BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Girinath, BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh, Energy Minister K J George, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Minority Affairs Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, among others, are seen along with Surjewala and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. The photos of the meeting were initially shared by Zameer Ahmed on his Twitter handle who later deleted it.
Former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy also raised the issue in his tweet seeking to know whether there is a Siddaramaiah government or “10 Janpath” government in the state.
Shivakumar also rubbished the Opposition claims on Wednesday. “Surjewala has nothing to do with the authorities. While Surjewala and I were drinking coffee, the officers came to pick me up because I was on a city tour. At that time, Surjewala did not meet with the authorities. Let them complain to the Governor. We know how many such meetings they have conducted,” he said.
Meanwhile, BBMP commissioner Tushar Girinath refused to divulge details regarding the meeting. “It’s true that we went to the hotel yesterday. The deputy chief minister’s inspection was supposed to begin at 11 am. We went to inform them. The urban development department and I were there. We will not be able to answer BJP’s allegations,” he said.
Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara also said Surjewala did not hold any meeting with the officials. “The ministers, deputy chief minister were having a meeting at the hotel and the general secretary happened to be there. PCC president wanted to speak to him. He called him and sat along with him. At that time, two to three officials were there. They came to discuss with the minister.”
